Review In A Nutshell:
Title: Partners in Crime: Integrating Language Arts and Forensic Science, Grades 5-8
Author: E.K.Hein
Price: $29.95 USD
Overall Rating (1-10): 8
Value (1-10): 9
Flexibility (1-10): 8
Ages/Grades: Listed as Grades 5-8, more appropriate for Grades 8-12 and adults
Review:
Capitalizing on the CSI craze, this book aims to fulfill both language arts and science standards in a compelling and hands-on way. I was eager to really sink my teeth into this book and see what it had to offer. I really had no idea what to expect! What I found took me completely off guard.
The book, at its surface, offers a “comprehensive, thematically linked format of units, lesson plans, activities, and exercises within the context of a ready-to-use format”. Great! Many homeschoolers absolutely love this type of book. The way it’s laid out allows for a lot of flexibility and jumping around. Each unit could easily stand alone and there are enough units to last throughout the year. This is not a stand-alone language arts program but it provides ample opportunities for using writing in different styles and for developing language arts skills in ways that the student will not even notice. If you have a child who is weak or reluctant to do boring writing assignments, this may be the book for you!
So let’s talk a little about what this book has to offer beyond the surface! Hold onto your seats, folks, this ride is bumpy! Your child will be turned into a Crime Scene Investigator and will walk through many violent and graphic crime scene situations. For this reason, I think most children in the grades this book was intended for will NOT be ready to partake in the lessons. As an example, children will learn the rate of decomposition of a human body above ground compared to under the earth and in the water. They will learn about how the splatter mark from blood can determine the height at which a victim was when the blood left his body. They will learn about blunt force trauma and ballistics. Is this something that most parents want their 10 year olds learning? No. This is pretty PG-13 material. Will your average middle school or high schooler eat it up? Absolutely! If you have a child who is enthralled with the life of crime scene investigators, addicted to the CSI-type TV shows or obsessed with forensic science, this book is a MUST. In fact, I’ve already talked to many adults who are eagerly anticipating the release of this book so they can add it to their own bookshelves!
For those who are squeamish or younger, the book has something to offer as well. There are awesome activities designed to learn all about blood typing, DNA typing, finger printing, handwriting analysis, interviewing professionals in forensic science, interrogation and more. Parents will want to carefully screen even these areas as there are very graphic crime scene portrayals throughout the book that children would find disturbing. However, the underlying science and the opportunity for the exploration of these topics through language arts is phenomenal.
Bottom Line: My 5th graders just aren’t ready for this book yet but I sure am! I will be hanging on to this for use in the next few years although I suspect that by the time my children are ready to explore this book, it might just be well worn for adult usage!
Partners in Crime: Integrating Language Arts and Forensic Science, Grades 5-8